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Richard Theiss Antiques, Dallas, TX (2026)

01/29/2023

Unger Brothers was a silver and jewelry manufacturing firm that operated in Newark NJ from 1872 to 1910. They are best known for their sterling silver items made in the Art Nouveau style. Their silver tends to be relatively light weight and, I assume, was made for the middle class market. Although they did make full sets of flatware and some hollow ware what is most often seen are small pieces of jewelry and silver objects made for a ladies dressing table. They also produced cut glass pieces that they fitted with silver lids. What I am showing is a brush with a very ornate Art Nouveau handle with a womans head and iris flowers. Other pieces in this pattern were available.

01/27/2023

English delftware dinner plate, mid 1700s in the Chinese style. Chinese blue and white porcelain was hugely popular in Europe and local European potters did everything that they could do to cash in on that popularity. While true hard paste porcelain was made in Europe after 1708 it was expensive and could be purchased only by the very wealthy. To provide a more affordable alternative European potters produced pottery glazed with a white tin-based glaze decorated in blue in Chinese-inspired patterns. This so-called "delftware" remained popular until the third quarter of the 18th century when the production of both soft paste and hard paste porcelain became more wide spread and prices came down.

01/26/2023

It has been quite a while since I last posted anything since I had some problems with loading photos. That has been solved so now I have to make up for lost time LOL. The mid nineteenth century saw an explosion in patented gadgets for household use. This is an example. This silverplated bottle holder is adjustable to fit four different sizes of bottles and was designed to attach a handle to a bottle to facilitate pouring. It was made by Lee and Wigfull of Sheffield between 1870 and 1899. It will be available at the Marburger Farm antique show in March/April.

08/26/2022

Come see lots of beautiful glass and pottery for sale this weekend at the Grapevine glass show. (see photo of card for info}

07/08/2022

Here are a few pieces of Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG) in one of the earlier patterns, introduced in about 1862 by McKee & Brothers glass company of PA. In catalogs from McKee the pattern was called R.L., possibly an abbreviation of Ribbed Leaf, but today is widely known as Bellflower or Ribbed Bellflower. This must have been one of the first blockbuster patterns since it was copied by several other makers and is relatively abundant still today. Each of the pieces shown in the photo are documented as McKee based on illustrations in their catalogs. As an aside: the catalogs from 1862 are too early to include photos so each piece is shown as a line drawing. The pattern was made in flint glass, a high-quality glass containing lead that rings like a bell when gently tapped. Clockwise from the upper left: an open compote or footed bowl, a spoon holder, a 6- inch nappy (bowl), a salt dip and a small plate. The 6 -inch bowl came with or without a lid. The only scarce/rare piece in the photo is the plate. This is the first one I have ever seen. EAPG is one of the most budget-friendly types of true antiques that a person can collect and use as originally intended. I will almost always have a selection of EAPG in my booth whenever I set up at a show and will have a booth full of EAPG when I set up at specialized glass shows. Watch for upcoming posts on glass shows scheduled for this year. Enjoy!

06/26/2022

A set of three etched glass decanters with solid silver mounts. These were made by the firm of Storck & Sinheimer which operated in Hanau, Germany between 1874 and 1926. They were probably made for wine or liquor as suggested by the stoppers that are topped by a putto holding a goblet in one hand and a cluster of grapes in the other. Silver marking standards were fairly strictly enforced in Germany except in the city of Hanau where much looser standards had been in place since at least the 1500s. The silversmiths of Hanau took advantage of this and, starting in the mid 1800s, made copies of, and pieces inspired by, Medieval, Baroque and Classical antique silver pieces. These were marked with pseudo hallmarks imitating the marks on the originals. They were made to fool unwary people into thinking that they were buying original antique pieces. Hanau silver is almost always very ornate and decorative. Documented marks can be researched online. As an aside: The term "German Silver" can be confusing to people and I have received many questions on the subject. If you are buying silver that is represented as German silver be sure to make the seller clarifies what they mean. One meaning can be: solid silver that is either 80% or 83.5% elemental silver by weight. A second, more confusing meaning can be: a silver colored metal alloy made up of nickel, zinc and copper and possibly other metals which contains NO elemental silver at all. This is usually marked "German Silver" and is comparable to "Nickle Silver" which also has no silver content. This set of decanters will be offered at Marburger Farm in the fall.

06/22/2022

Seems I may be stuck on English ceramics. Just found this today. A tile illustrating Aesop's Fable "The Tortoise Which Wished to Learn to Fly. Manufactured by Mintons China Works about 1872. This was one of a series of at least 12 tiles illustrating various fables. Will be available this fall at Marburger Farm Antique Show.

06/20/2022

In the 1800s (and earlier and later) women and girls who were part of even moderately well-off families were very limited in their options. They were rarely allowed to work outside of the home and were expected to learn the skills associated with "womens' work" Artistic endeavors were considered appropriate use of their time. Needlework was one of the arts that some of these women practiced. What I am showing in this post are two needlepoint pictures that would have been made, framed and hung in the home as art objects and as proof of the skill and accomplishments of their makers. Based on the subject matter and framing I believe that both of these date to the mid 19th century but precise dating is difficult at best. These will be available at the fall Marburger Farm Antique Show.

06/20/2022

In the 1800s before the invention of modern glues if a piece of dishware or glassware broke it could be taken to a repair person who put it back together with metal staples inserted into precisely drilled holes, usually on the back of the piece. These staples were held in place by tension, sometimes with the help of a little plaster.
The staples were sized so that they would tightly pull the broken pieces together, creating a firm, tight repair. These are called staple repairs and are highly desired by some collectors as they indicate the thriftiness of people at that time. What I am showing today is a small platter in "the Old School House pattern by Masons. This piece is marked with the early one line impressed mark used between 1813 and 1830. At some point in this platters' life it was broken and repaired using staples. This piece will be shown at the Fall Marburger Farm Antique Show.

06/12/2022

From china to folk art. This is a great piece of Tramp Art that will be available at the Marburger Farm Antique Show this fall. The piece is a wall pocket. The mirror folds out and is held in place by chains creating a wall pocket probably meant to hold sheet music or magazines. Tramp Art is a form of folk art that seems to have originated in Europe and was brought here by immigrants. The pieces were made by individuals who took thin pieces of wood (probably from packing crates or cigar boxes) cut into shapes and stacked several layers deep. The edges of each piece were chip carved with V-shaped cuts creating a lively texture. The finished items were often left as raw wood but were sometimes painted. Small boxes and frames are the most commonly found pieces. Larger items and furniture pieces are much harder to find. The term "Tramp Art" derives from the story (true or not) that itinerant "tramps" would make pieces that they would trade for food. While this may have occurred from time to time it is more likely that the larger pieces were made by people with permanent homes and access to thin wood scraps.

06/12/2022

Well here we go: my first post on the new page. There will be many more posts of antiques on this page than there were on my personal page so I hope you don't get bored. I am starting with a piece of English transferware. This 9 inch plate was made by Adams about 1835 and is decorated with their "Temple Warriors" pattern in red. The Adams family were potting in the Staffordshire area as early as 1650 and their legacy continues today as part of the Wedgwood Group. They were known for very high quality transferware. Note how the decoration on this plate is highly detailed and clearly printed. A pair of these plates will be available at the Fall 2022 Marburger Farm Antique show. A single plate with a chip on the reverse will be available at the Canton First Monday market (I am located in the Civic Center)

06/07/2022

Welcome to the new page for Richard Theiss Antiques. On this page I hope to post photos and educational descriptions of some of the antiques that I will be offering for sale. On each of the posts I will let you know where the item will be offered. I hope that you will enjoy the posts and possibly find a treasure of your own.

Richard Theiss Antiques

01/29/2023

01/27/2023

01/26/2023

08/26/2022

07/08/2022

06/26/2022

06/22/2022

06/20/2022

06/20/2022

06/12/2022

06/12/2022

06/07/2022

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